Newsletter End of Term 4 2025

Principal’s Message

E ngā mana, e ngā reo!

As the term draws to a close, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our entire school community—our students, staff, and families. Your faith, support, and dedication are the foundation of our vibrant special character. We have seen wonderful acknowledgements of learning across all our classrooms, from the youngest tamariki building foundational literacy skills, to our senior students confidently integrating their RUA values and faith into their academic work. This progress is a direct result of the extraordinary commitment demonstrated by our teaching and support staff. They go above and beyond, weaving our Rise UP principles of practice into every lesson. We thank God for the privilege of serving alongside you all. May this Christmas season be filled with, lots of fun, laughter and restful moments of peace.

Kia manaaki te Atua koutou katoa,
Sita Selupe MNZM
Principal

Term 4 Learning

Room 2 – Term 4 Highlights

MOTAT Trip – Exploring Inventions of the Past

Our visit to MOTAT was a valuable learning experience where students explored past inventions and connected them to our inquiry topic on technology. This helped them understand how ideas have changed over time and inspired their thinking about the future.

Inquiry Presentations – The Future with Technology

Students engaged in hands-on STEM activities to design a future city. They created models of transport powered by solar energy and focused on environmentally friendly solutions. Their presentations showed creativity, innovation, and forward thinking.

Travelwise Awards Day – Rainbow’s End Celebration

Room 2 proudly attended the Travelwise Awards Day organised by Auckland Transport. We received the Bronze Award for our efforts throughout the year. After the ceremony, students enjoyed the rides at Rainbow’s End as a well-deserved treat.

Junky Monkey – Creativity Through Recyclables

Students had a great time creating with recycled materials during Junky Monkey. This activity supported their problem-solving skills and highlighted how everyday items can be reused in imaginative ways.

Farewell to Our Leavers

In Term 4, we farewelled Vai, Carla, Eli, and Caroline as they move on to intermediate school next year. We are proud of them and wish them every success in their new journey.

End-of-Year Awards – Celebrating Success

We acknowledged the hard work, progress, and achievements of all our tamariki during the End-of-Year Awards. It was a joyful celebration of their efforts throughout the year.

EOY School Trip – Rainbow’s End

Room 2 enjoyed another exciting trip to Rainbow’s End—our second visit this term. Students had a fantastic time and created lasting memories with their peers.

Christmas Celebration – Secret Santa & Shared Lunch

We ended the term with a joyful Christmas celebration. Students took part in Secret Santa, exchanging thoughtful, low-cost gifts with their peers. Afterwards, we enjoyed a shared lunch together.

It has been a wonderful Term 4 filled with learning, creativity, and celebrations. We are incredibly proud of Room 2 and grateful for the support of our whānau. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Regards,

Mr Avi

Room 3 – Term 4 Highlights

As we approach the holiday season, we reflect on a productive term filled with meaningful learning experiences.

Our recent visit to MOTAT aligned perfectly with our Technology inquiry unit, exploring past, present, and future innovations. Room 3 students examined historical communication devices including radios and record players, observing how technology has evolved over time. We conducted sound experiments using paper cups and string to understand how sound travels through different materials.

The term concluded with our visit to Rainbows End, providing students with an enjoyable shared experience. This was particularly significant for our Year 8 students as they prepare for their transition to secondary school next year.

As I complete term assessments and student reports, I am reminded of how quickly students progress through their educational journey. Many of our current students will be moving to new classes and schools, marking important milestones in their academic development.

Thank you for your continued support throughout the year. We wish all families a peaceful holiday season and look forward to reconnecting in the new year.

Blessing

Ms Bella

RISE UP TRUST – BLC

Fakaue lahi whanau!

This year, an incredible 98% of our whānau engaged in volunteer hours. What a phenomenal testament to the strength, unity, and heart of our community. On behalf of the BLC team, we want to express our deepest gratitude to all our parents for the gift of your time, energy, and unwavering support for our tamariki. Your partnership has made this year truly special.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
May this remind us of the impact of every act of service, every hour given, and every seed planted in the lives of our children.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, a safe and joyful holiday season, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the new year. To our graduating class, their whānau, and to students who are moving on—we pray God’s favour, guidance, and blessing over you as you step into this new season.

Ngā mihi nui and blessings to you all.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Regular school attendance is essential for student success. In New Zealand, the percentage of students attending regularly is low compared to many other countries. The Government and Ministry of Education has implemented plans and targets to help lift attendance. School staff, boards and parents all play vital roles in supporting students to be at school every day.

The Government’s target is for 80% of students to attend school regularly. That means they attend school more than 90% of the time or have been absent from school for less than 5 days in a term. The importance of attending regularly enables our students to learn, interact and grow. We see the benefits in our students who attend regularly with their learning, confidence in themselves, ability to problem solve and think outside the box, how to navigate challenges and how to interact with others. For students who miss one day a week that equates to 40 days in a school year or 240 hours of learning in one school year.

As a school, we want to increase our student attendance and we need your help to do this! Making sure your child is coming to school every day, they are going to bed early and getting enough rest or taking an interest in what they are doing at school, are all helpful ways to assist with our students being excited and eager to come to school.

Let’s work together to increase our student’s attendance and for more whānau to reach 100% attendance for 2026.

ENROLMENTS

Spaces are filling up fast so don’t miss out. If you friends or family members who are looking for a school to send their child to then let them know about us!

Below are the spaces that we have available for Term 1 2026

Year 7 & 8 class – 4 spaces

Year 5 & 6 class – 4 spaces

Year 2 & 3 class – 2 spaces

New Entrant & Year 1 – 4 spaces

If you have a 3 year old or a 4 year old, please make sure you have filled in an enrolment form so we can book a space for them at Rise Up https://www.riseupacademy.school.nz/online-enrolment-form/

If you have any friends or family who are wanting to send their students to Rise UP Academy please encourage them to complete the enrolment form our website https://www.riseupacademy.school.nz/online-enrolment-form/

Whanau Programme & Notices

2026 FIRST DAY

First day of Term One 2026 is Monday 2nd February 2026.

UNIFORM SALES

Our Admin office will reopen for uniform sales on Tuesday 27th of January 2026 from 10am to 2pm. Polo shirt sizes 6-14 are $43.00, sizes S-XL are $48.00 and the jerseys are $53.00.